Honda Odyssey vs Dodge/Chrysler minivans

maltb · August 2002

I'm sure their wives don't find them funny whatsoever. However, Ody vs DC most funny place in Town Hall. Cafe patrons need resting place to shoot dung, not turkey. Bdaddy seem to complete brotherhood initiation with flying color.

dmathews3 · August 2002

Also lay turkey on padded armrest so not bruise turkey

bdaddy · August 2002

B-Diddy think go to same grade school Whammy, Maltb, Dmathews, Pat. Boys good if apart. Teacher have to seperate to get through class.

Email secret for now so FBI not find and question again. Also want to keep undercover while H.E.I.T. Fear many DC owners write notes try and get secret information on new cars and vans.

B-diddy break whambam code. Max have penchant for old David Bowie song, Suffraget City.

Bdaddy (Honda Engineer In Training)

rbell2 · August 2002

I have been looking at vans for the past month and finally decided on another DGC. I bought a '96 DGC LE new and now have 91,000 miles on it. During those 6 years, I spent ~$1,000 on what I consider non-routine maintenance repairs. Not bad for my first non-Japanese car.
After much comparison and almost falling into the Odyssey "hype" (I own a '98 Accord - very good car), the DGC was really the better value and more accommodating for my family. The best price I got on a Odyssey EX was $5,300 off the sticker of $27,450 with my trade for a net of $22,150. I got a DGC EX with Side ABS and left sliding door (sticker price $27,500) for $20,025 with my trade. They also added for no extra charge an in-dash/ceiling mounted DVD player and additional transmission and engine cooling for towing more than 2,000 lbs.
The only thing the Ody had over the DGC was a little more power and slightly better crash test scores. The "magic seat" means almost nothing to us - the power liftgate is much more useful (especially since my wife is 5'1" tall).
To us the DGC was more comfortable, quieter, almost as powerful, easier to access the rear bench, and has more useful features such as the trip computer/compass, DVD player, power liftgate, CD AND cassette, and better sounding stereo.
My biggest concern with the DGC was reliability but, quite honestly, the Ody has not been "Honda-stellar" in that arena. Consumer Reports shows the Ody and DGC virtually equal on frequency of repairs and both are recommended. With the free 7-70 engine warranty on the DGC, I felt better about the DGC long-term (as I plan to keep this vehicle 6 or 7 years). Just look at the number of messages in the "Ody problem" discussion versus the number in the "Chrysler/Dodge van problems" discussions. Given the much higher volume of Chrysler/Dodge vans sold, the problems seem to be disproportionate against the Ody.
Good luck shopping!! I am happy.

pat84 · August 2002

We all brothers. All own Odyssey. We eat same lunch, ride different school bus, go to different school together.
Glad all like choice of Honda/ DC van they buy. Too bad wives not think you and brother funny.
Does brother own minivan ?

crkeehn · August 2002

I just saw a non-beige Odyssey. And no, whammy, it wasn't the rare and valuable dvbp

pat84 · August 2002

Honda come in so many color, confuse PT Cruiser driver ? Now only two color, "beige" and "not biege" .

steeleng · August 2002

pat84 - No my brother does not own a van. As a matter of fact, he and his wife both own Honda Civics. My sister does have a '93 Plymouth Grand Voyageur. She now has about 130,000 miles on it with no major problems (still has the original tranny) and her kids are not easy on that van. As a matter of fact the biggest problem they had was when their 4 year old stole the keys and backed the van out of the garage and T-boned their neighbors truck.

rbell2 - I'm glad to hear that you got good service from your '96, especially since that was one of DC's most problematic years. It sounds like you got a good deal on your new van. I wouldn't mind having the DVD entertainment system. I originally thought the power liftgate was a waste of money but it seems that most women that I talk to like the idea as they are generally smaller and have a harder time reaching up and pulling the gate down. I guess that I am lucky that it is not a big deal to my wife as our van doesn't have any of the power doors.

4aodge · August 2002

Yesterday my family and I took a road trip from the Bay Area to Humbolt County in our Town & Country, which performed very nicely the entire way. The 3.3 V6 did just fine climbing the hills through the giant red wood forrests on highway 101 going north. I was shocked to see the owner of a Honda Odyssey LX broken down on the side of the road with the hood up and her emergency lights flashing. It could not have been any older than a 1999 and yes, you guessed it, it was that horrible, boring gray color. Maybe she forgot to change her oil or maybe Honda quality and reliability isnt all it's cracked up to be, at least with the Odyssey.

chryslervan1 · August 2002

Looked at 2003 Caravan and Grand Caravan minivans today. The 3.8L V6 is now offered on the Grand Caravan Sport and has an EPA rating of 18 City 25 Highway....the same rating as the 3.5L V6 of 2002 Odyssey.
Meanwhile, the 2003 Grand Caravan SE with 3.3L V6 has EPA rating of 19 City 26 Highway while the 2003 Caravan SE with 2.4L 4 cyl has EPA rating of 21 City 27 Highway.
Will be interesting to see if EPA ratings of other minivans has also increased for 2003.

dmathews3 · August 2002

Kind of jumping to conclusions aren't ya. Maybe she had a DC van stuck in her grill and it overheated or a piece of a DC van fell off in the road and she hit it. Who knows why she had the hood up. Unless you stopped, you just don't know, and I could be right.
You claim DC is so great. Now I see they are recalling all PT Cruisers for fuel leaks. Can't they make anything that don't leak fuel. Of course I guess that could be one way of selling more vehicles than Honda. Burn them up so the insurance companies have to replace them. At least the Odyssey wasn't on fire.

hayneldan · August 2002

From NHTSA (National Highway Saftey Administration) " Honda is recalling 1.3 MILLION 1997-2000 Honda Accords, Civics, Preludes, CR-Vs and Odysseys and 1999 Acura TLs and 1997-1999 CLs to replace an ignition switch that can cause the engine to stall. I'm amazed at how uninformed some Odyssey owner / posters are!

4aodge · August 2002

You certainly don't put your hood up for any other reason than something has gone wrong or is about to go wrong with your car. The fact she had her emergency lights on, her hood up, and was talking to someone on her cell phone sugguest something was wrong with her car. Or I could be wrong and she likes the way her already ugly Odyssey looks with its hood up on the side of the freeway.

As for the PT Cruiser recall, no PT Cruisers have "blown up" as a result of faulty part. There have been no death and no injuries and no known incidents or problems that have been reported as a result of the fuel line. Those are the facts. You claim Honda is so great. Yet we both know Odyssey quality and reliablity is not up to par. The woman I saw who was probably BROKEN DOWN on the side of the road only further proves that point.

4aodge · August 2002

I bet all the 1999 and 2000 Odyssey owners are saying to themselves, "OH MY GOD, MY WONDERFUL, PERFECT, RELIABLE ODYSSEY IS BEING RECALLED!?!??!?! THIS CANNOT BE!!!!"

Interesting, I have a 2000 Town & Country which has not been recalled for anything and is doing just fine with 48k miles...

dave210 · August 2002

There was the "O-ring fuel line" recall on all 1996-2000 minivans if I'm not mistaken. Hopefully, you've been informed and can get that fixed. Just giving you the 411.

crkeehn · August 2002

It wouldn't surprise me if the Ody drivers were saying just that 4adodge, I can attest to the fact that the Cruiser Drivers are saying it about the fuel pump recall. The fuel line recall is a different matter, the PT Owners were aware that a certain number of 2001 fuel lines were incorrectly routed and wearing. Chrysler is reacting quickly to that one, the NHTSA has just opened the investigation and already Chrysler is correcting the problem. Both PT recalls are supposed to be quick and easy to correct.

pat84 · August 2002

Why didn't you stop and offer assitance to the young lady ? Perhaps she would have appreciated it. BTW I think that 99 Odysseys are not part of the recall.

stever · August 2002

I guess this is more appropriate for the Social Issues board, but, sad to say, these days a guy stopping to help a lone woman driver is likely to make her more uncomfortable than waiting for the tow driver.

Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

pat84 · August 2002

Maybe the young lady was cooking on the manifold of her Odyssey.

See this link

http://members.tripod.com/~viningM/manifold.JPG

She may have been on her cell phone telling her family that dinner would be ready in 5 minutes.

maltb · August 2002

A good place to buy cigarettes...so I hear anyway.

tomtomtom · August 2002

Did Honda offer 24-hour roadside help? Oh that's right Honda makes such a great auto that their cars/vans would never have any problems on the road... 4adodge, you should be glad you didn't stop to help that lady, she could be up for something. Once you stopped, 14 guys who were hiding in the cargo area would jump out and rob you.

tomtomtom · August 2002

...and of course the Honda owners here would said they took all your money but didn't take your van because it is a DC van.

steeleng · August 2002

There have been over fifteen posts in plain non-broken English. That must be some kind of record.

steeleng · August 2002

Well, whambam broke the streak before I could even comment on it.

stever · August 2002

Not to mention that 4aodge is less childish than some posters around here....

Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

pat84 · August 2002

I wish you would take notice of exactly how this forum degenerates. First 4adodge makes a snide remark about " the ugly gray colored" Honda broken down on the side of the road. Followed by tomtomtom's 2 consecutive sarcastic posts denigrating Honda.
And you talk about maturity.
Talk cheap.

steeleng · August 2002

Somehow I don't think that 2 posts denigrating Honda even count as a drop in the bucket in comparison to the posts denigrating DC on this board. I actually thought that tomtomtom's second post was right on concerning the type of comment that would be received. By the way, that post did not denigrate Honda, it denigrated Honda posters.

stever · August 2002

Please pardon my frustration - not much useful information has been passed back in forth in here in recent weeks, save the odd gem.

Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

crkeehn · August 2002

The bottom line...

Honda Owners like the Odyssey

DC owners like the DC vans

Each has good and bad features

It took 1542 posts to get that far.

maltb · August 2002

And to complete that thought, you all should have bought MPVs. Ok, now that we got that, let's shut this topic down.

vcheng · August 2002

In 1999, I was looking for a minivan, and ended up with a Grand Caravan Sport with the 3.8 liter motor. This was my first new car purchase ever, and the first non-Japanese vehicle to boot. I had wanted to get an Odyssey, but at that time they were hard to get.

Now I have close to 40k miles on the van. It has not been perfect (TSB repair on cruise control, high note horn replaced, EGR valve replaced) but has been a perfectly good family hauler.

It has been quiet (well after I adjusted the left side sliding door, and fixed a rattle from the steering wheel), comfortable (upto 1000 miles a day without a problem), economical (usually 20-24 mpg, best 29.4 mpg (not a typo, 29.4), worst 16 mpg) and above all reliable (never let me down so far, despite going upto 111 mph, and cruising at 80-90 mph all day long).

Frankly, I admit to having been a bit apprehensive about buying an "american" vehicle because of their perceived unreliability. And this was based partly on my long experience with Japanese makes (Suzuki, Diahatsu, Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Honda). I think that the Dodge GCS has been as good a vehicle as any japanese one that I have owned.

I am sure an Odyssey would have served me and my family equally well.

I do keep on top of maintenance myself. And I think this is a key factor when comparing vans, other than emotions and childish mine-is-better-than-yours arguments.

To each their own: some will find the magic seat a must-have feature, some will find the Odyssey noisy, or have a mediocre stereo, some will quote lots of friends stranded by transmission woes on Chrysler vans, and so on and on.

However, they are both good vehicles with their own characteristics and features. And in the long run, the owner and his attention to maintenance and driving habits will perhaps be the most important determinant of long-term performance of what is a relatively complex, but still only a machine.

Maybe the lady broken down in the Odyssey never changed the oil. Maybe sliding doors on both makes need not be slammed or they will malfunction or rattle. Maybe the 401TE transmission should have 10k oil changes with type 7176 fluid only.

A high-revving 240 hp OHC engine may be good for some, some may like an old-style OHV engine with more torque lower down in the rpm range. At the end of day, they both do 0-60 in 9-10 seconds, and it is perhaps more important not to spill any drinks than making it to the next red light first.

I could go on and on, but I think I have rambled enough to make my point. This forum, and other fora on Edmunds should be more informative rather than argumentative.

Maintenance tips, quirks and features of a particular make, tips to help out, statistics (like the ones above), and just plain good advice are my favourite messages. And if we can all have such a discourse in a pleasant and friendly manner, then it would be wonderful. Otherwise, it can become a bit tedious to sift through a lot of dirt to pan out the diamonds.

vcheng · August 2002

And yes, several of my friends have Honda Odysseys, and several other have Dodges and Chyrsler T&Cs, and I have ridden and worked on several of both types of minivans.

4aodge · August 2002

The recall concerning the faulty fuel line in the minivans with the 3.3 and 3.8 engines only effects some of the early 2000 models made before a certain date. I remember checking the date when the recall was first announced and our 2000 Town & Country which we purchased in September of 2000 is not included in the recall.

michitake · August 2002

I can't speak to the Daimler-Chrysler vans, but a friend of mine at work has required me to take him to the Honda dealership for quality problems 4 times now.
Cruise control, brakes, leaks, and engine check light so far in one year. He drives it hard, I suppose, but he is getting a little disillusioned with the "quality".
Also, the NAV system voice wont turn down independently. He has to turn his music down along with it. Kinda annoying if you want to listen to your tunes loud and not have the NAV voice screaming at you.
He regrets not getting a Buick Rendezvous after seeing Buick top Honda in the last J.D. powers quality poll, and the Buick would have been cheaper by a lot with the discounts.

wellphyt · August 2002

Not all of us Honda owners are happy with their Odyssey. I'm sorry to say that the Odyssey is not up to typical Honda quality.

maltb · August 2002

I done never heard of a perfect car company, but dem boys over at da big H jus 'bout pegged makin most cars.

Seems tho dat dem boys at Mazder done stole the magic seat an da quality for der minivans. Maybe da Auburn Hillbillies can steal some a dat too.

carluver3742 · August 2002

I used to have a Toyota Sienna 1998 model, in a three year lease. HORRIBLE RELIABILITY!! The sliding doors had to replaced because it wouldn't close properly. The brake system had to be completly taken apart and replaced because parts were 'broken', since we just passed to mileage limit, it was NOT covered by warranty.

I ended up paying 3k US to get out of the lease and headed to Honda (this was around sept 2000, after most of the hype of the oddessy was gone). The dealer was only willing to sell at MSRP 33k CDN for a base model, around 22k US (Canadian cars are usually cheaper), and not negotiate any discounts or offer incentives.

Because I was cash-strapped, I went over to the DC dealer. for under 30k CDN (20K US), i got a loaded SE Sport DGC, with everything the top of the line ES had, except awd, leather, and 17' wheels (the 16s were fine, and still large in this class) and got a 1.9% lease.

For less than the cost of the sienna or odesssy, i got an almost fully loaded DGC. To this date, I have not had any serious issues with the DGC except for a minor sqeek or rattle, but the good looks of the DGC and its significant cost advantage makes it acceptable.

pat84 · August 2002

I don't need no stinkin' friends to drive me in for service. I don't need no stinkin' Nav system either. My ODY like new with over 62, 0000 miles. All ever replaced are tires and front brake pads Once each. I gothchur Auburn hillbillies rat cheer.

4aodge · August 2002

Glad to hear you are enjoying your 2000 DGC Sport. What color is your van? Those 17 inch chrome rims on the new 2002 GC ES sure do look nice, but are very rare, and expensive!

pat84 · August 2002

I would think that 17" wheels would require an adjustment in the speedometer and odometer. Otherwise you would be going faster than the speedometer indicated, and your warranty would last longer. However, since DC configures all it's vans to become AWD models,(and hence no magic seat) they may not make this adjustment, either. No wonder they're rare.

4aodge · August 2002

Since the Grand Caravan ES FWD comes with the 17 inch Titan chrome wheels as a factory option, I would trust they would make the proper modifications to the spedometer in the factory. That only makes sense to me. The ES AWD does not come with the 17 inch wheels and tires but the 16 inch Europa rims instead.

maltb · August 2002

Most of these adjustment can be made in the PCM(control module). It's no longer a matter of swapping speedo drive gears. If you do change the config, and smart tech with the factory diagnostic link can adjust it.

mitchs3 · August 2002

Still having trouble deciding between 2002 DC Town and Country limited at approx $30,000, that is about 400. under invoice plus 3,000 rebate versus a 2003 Odyssey EX-L at MSRP minus the destination charge (approx 28,400). Clearly the DC T&C has many more features, but everyone seems to rant and rave about the Ody with 240HP, 5 sp auto, Mgic seat. I only have driven my father in law's 99 Ody LX. Seems okay but I like my 97 Town/cty better. Suspect resale a huge factor in ther two vehicles. My 97 Town/Cty has recurrent electrical problems and has sufferred from poor quality, but again I'm told DC is much improved since 96-97 minivans. On the DC I like the stereo, overhead computer, powere hatch, and left arm rest. On the 99 I drove, the left armrest was not comfortable. Has this been improved on those vans with leather or newer models. Also the DC van has much more luxury feel to the interior. I invite thoughts here. Also how expensive to upgrade the ODY sound system? Tweeter stereo store quoted me about 300.00 to upgrade the speakers.

4aodge · August 2002

You seem to place alot of emphasis on luxury and convienence, which is probably why you purchased your 1997 Town & Country. If this is the case, you might not be happy with anything but a Town & Country. And as I'm sure you know after sitting in an Odyssey, the Town & Country is really the only minivan in the market that comes close to being a luxury vehicle.

The DC minivans don't have great resale value but they can be purchased at a lower price than the Odyssey, which easily holds its value well over the years. Good luck with your choice. If I were you, I'd buy the Town & Country Limited, especially since its a 37k dolar vehicle you can buy for only 30k. What a deal!

bdaddy · August 2002

Let me get this straight...you've driven a Honda and DC minivan and you're asking this board for an opinion on which one to purchase? I would assume you would also drive current year models for an accurate comparison. I suggest you follow 4adodge's advice. He is probably the most experienced driver in this forum, having accumulated a wealth of a basis for comparison with the myriad of vehicles he has tested.

dmathews3 · August 2002

I think you have your drivers mixed up. As far as I know and if I remember his posts 4adodge has never driven a Odyssey, just his Dads PT and the familys DC van.

caviller · August 2002

The stock sound in the Odyssey is pretty mediocre. I purchased a pair of Sony drop-in replacement speakers at Tweeter for $29 or $39, I think they were 50% off on a sale. I put them in in 10 minutes and it made a noticable improvement. Also check Crutchfield.Com. While their prices aren't great, they will tell you what fits without to much effort.

Of course, if you want a subwoofer and other goodies, you will spend a lot more.

As for armrest comfort, I'll leave that debate for someone else....

pat84 · August 2002

Sarcasm ? This is supposed to be a staid, stolid, sedate forum comparing the various vans attributes, with alacrity, and without ascerbic anecdotes. Alliteration may be acceptable, if it is articulate and ascertains to the vans.
Remarks such as the Odyssey's sound system is significantly lackluster and lacking in comparison to the DC Infinity sound system are presumedley acceptable.

pat84 · August 2002

Interesting, I do wear a hat in my Odyssey. It has lots of room for head. It makes up for the lack of an arm rest, and improves my driving. I have a hat collection, including a very interisting one from a small town in Canada.
I took out my donut spare and keep my hat collection in the sack that the real tire was supposed to go in.

pat84 · August 2002

"This is deja vu all over again".
I, too, have a 99 Odyssey. It still runs like new with over 62,000 miles. I get 20.5 MPG commuting, about equal city and highway.
I get a little better than 25 on the highway, but I drive faster than 70 . I did a 540 mile trip at over a 75 MPH average. That included 1 gas stop and 1 rest stop.

Honda Odyssey vs Dodge/Chrysler minivans

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